Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology

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Peykanpour Fard R, Soffianian A, Ahmadi M, Pourmanafi S. Multi-objective Zoning of Protected Areas Using MCE and MOLA Methods (Case Study: Abbasabad Wildlife Sanctuary, Isfahan Province). Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology 2024; 13 (1) :47-60
URL: http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1220-en.html

Zoning of protected areas is an effective solution for reducing conflicts between various objectives, such as prioritizing conservation while also addressing secondary goals like rehabilitation, tourism, and multiple-use zones. Achieving these objectives is not feasible without zoning. This study aimed to allocate areas for conservation, rehabilitation, tourism, and multiple-use zones within the Abbasabad Wildlife Sanctuary, considering the interactions among different zones to optimize the arrangement of incompatible areas through multi-criteria evaluation method. Fuzzy models were used to standardize criteria, and Best-worst Weighting Model (BWM) was used to determine their weights. Suitability maps for each land use were prepared separately using the Ordered Weighted Average (OWA) method, while the zoning map for optimal land allocation was created using the multi objective land allocation (MOLA). The results indicated that the final suitability of the designated zones ranged from zero (the lowest suitability) to one (the highest suitability). The suitability scores for conservation, rehabilitation, tourism, and multiple zones were 0.82, 0.98, 0.82, and 0.84, respectively. The findings of this research can be used as a model for planning and prioritizing land use in protected areas.